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The recently introduced concept of soft pulse added mixing (SPAM) is used in two-dimensional heteronuclear correlation (HETCOR) NMR experiments between half-integer quadrupolar and spin-1/2 nuclei. The experiments employ multiple quantum magic angle spinning (MQMAS) to remove the second order quadrupolar broadening and cross polarization (CP) or refocused INEPT for magnetization transfer. By using previously unexploited coherence pathways, the efficiency of SPAM-MQ-HETCOR NMR is increased by a factor of almost two without additional optimization. The sensitivity gain is demonstrated on a test sample, AlPO(4)-14, using CP and INEPT to correlate (27)Al and (31)P nuclei. SPAM-3Q-HETCOR is then applied to generate (27)Al-(31)P spectra of the devitrified 41Na(2)O-20.5Al(2)O(3)-38.5P(2)O(5) glass and the silicoaluminophosphate ECR-40. Finally, the method allowed the acquisition of the first high resolution solid-state correlation spectra between (27)Al and (29)Si.

A systematic study of the surface of MCM-41-type mesoporous silica nanoparticles prepared under low surfactant concentration was carried out using high-resolution solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The structures and concentrations of various species present during dehydration and rehydration of mesoporous silicas between -25 and 500 degrees C were detailed by employing one-dimensional and two-dimensional (1)H, (13)C, and (29)Si NMR, including (1)H signal intensity measurements, (1)H-(1)H homonuclear correlation experiments (double quantum, exchange, and RFDR), and (1)H-(29)Si heteronuclear correlation NMR. These experiments employed high MAS rates of up to 45 kHz. The study shows that the surfactant (CTAB) was almost completely removed by acid extraction. The residual molecules assumed prone positions along the pores, with the tailgroup being most mobile. The weakly adsorbed water was hydrogen bonded to the silanol groups, all of which were involved in such bonds under ambient humidity. Specific structures involving water and silanol groups were proposed for various stages of thermal treatment, which included dehydration, dehydroxylation, and subsequent rehydration.